Stroke Center

Primary Stroke Center Accreditation

One of only six such centers in the state of Alabama

Stroke certification is especially important in Alabama, which sits in the nation’s “stroke belt.” According to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 2010 age-adjusted incidence of stroke in Alabama was 4.1 percent—highest in the nation. This compares to a national rate of 2.6 percent. Stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S., and nearly half of older stroke patients experience moderate to severe disability, according to the CDC.

Stroke in the United States

Stroke kills almost 130,000 Americans each year—that’s 1 out of every 19 deaths.

On average, one American dies from stroke every 4 minutes.

Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke.

About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes.

About 185,00 strokes—nearly one of four—are in people who have had a previous stroke.

About 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes, when blood flow to the brain is blocked.